DD Miku's Leather Parts

How do you deal with Miku's leather parts in her outfit? I noticed that it's starting to get sticky and has those cracks when it stretches.

one thing I definitely noticed is that her patterned belt separated top from bottom and had to be glued back together.

Miku's default outfits (along with other Crypton characters' outfits) are made using what is affectionately called Doom Material.  It's a synthetic material that has a plastic-y faux 'leather' layer glued to a fabric layer, and over time this top layer cracks and flakes off.  There's unfortunately no known way to prevent this from happening, or to fix it once it starts happening.  The top layer will flake off in tiny pieces, and there's no way to reaffix them.  The same wear and tear happens to all items using faux leather, from handbags to furniture.  Unlike real leather that can be conditioned and restored, faux materials have no way to be preserved, especially once damage starts.

It's a shame Volks / Crypton opted for these materials on a collectable item, because they're truly not made to last.

37 minutes ago, OccultBeast said:

Miku's default outfits (along with other Crypton characters' outfits) are made using what is affectionately called Doom Material.  It's a synthetic material that has a plastic-y faux 'leather' layer glued to a fabric layer, and over time this top layer cracks and flakes off.  There's unfortunately no known way to prevent this from happening, or to fix it once it starts happening.  The top layer will flake off in tiny pieces, and there's no way to reaffix them.  The same wear and tear happens to all items using faux leather, from handbags to furniture.  Unlike real leather that can be conditioned and restored, faux materials have no way to be preserved, especially once damage starts.

It's a shame Volks / Crypton opted for these materials on a collectable item, because they're truly not made to last.

Oh no 😰 I guess it's inevitable. No wonder I see some fellow Miku owners don't put on the arm sleeves and boots anymore due to that problem. 

Other than the belt, I'm not seeing it. Maybe it's a climate/temperature issue.

8 minutes ago, ateliervanilla said:

Oh no 😰 I guess it's inevitable. No wonder I see some fellow Miku owners don't put on the arm sleeves and boots anymore due to that problem. 

Yeah, I think most Miku owners will run into at least one issue with her outfit over time, if not more.  I don't put my Miku in her default ever, really, so mine doesn't show much wear, even though it's from the original release, but some people with Reboot outfits have way more wear and tear, it all depends on how much you use it.  The fabric just can't hold up to bending and flexing.  Snow Miku is even worse, as the silver material apparently also yellows over time, especially where the fabric has been glued in place, like around the boot zippers.  It's so unfortunate.

1 minute ago, Mega Negi said:

Other than the belt, I'm not seeing it. Maybe it's a climate/temperature issue.

I think it's more just a 'usage' issue.  If you keep your Miku in her default and don't change her outfit or pose regularly, you may never see that much wear on the material.  I think I've put the default on my Miku only twice since getting her just because I know the outfit is only going to get worse over time if I pose her in it often.  That and I don't feel like dealing with her staining constantly from it lol  I wouldn't be surprised if humidity played a part in helping the layers to separate easier, though.  Humid air could help the glue to weaken, while dry climates could 'dry out' the top layer faster and leave it more prone to cracking and flaking.

I've had... some luck maintaining pleather shoes and belts using vinyl conditioner, which is a cream meant to keep vinyl car and boat seats from drying out and cracking.

Unfortunately, vinyl conditioner doesn't repair damage that's already there. Once the stuff has started cracking and falling off, it's already too late. Vinyl conditioner keeps pleather supple and bendable for longer, so I start putting it on the pieces when they are new and reapply it every few months/once a year/whenever I remember to keep the stuff bendable for as long as possible.

So far I haven't had any issues with the stuff - no discoloration or other weirdness - and the shoes I've been treating are still holding together well despite some of them being well over ten years old. That being said, the stuff might blotch or stain regular fabric if a little bit of it gets off the pleather section.

It's an option, but I don't know how well it would work in this circumstance.

The only reason I would be afraid to use conditioner (personally) is because DDs are already so easily stained, I would worry that the conditioning cream would damage the DD vinyl in some way, even if it doesn't damage the outfit pieces themselves.  I assume it would discolour it, at least.  It would definitely be a risk, so I don't know if anyone would want to take it with a rather pricy DD outfit, especially since we don't know if it would actually preserve the material used in these outfits.

This is just my mind trying to find a solution but I once painted over pleather doll clothes and to secure the paint I brushed on some layers of clear drying glue. If my Miku outfits start to peal I would do that as well maybe it works...maybe not ^^°

15 hours ago, OccultBeast said:

Humid air could help the glue to weaken, while dry climates could 'dry out' the top layer faster and leave it more prone to cracking and flaking.

That is my number one concern right now, actually. Being in AZ, it's so hot and dry that this first week of getting her already got those faux leather parts cracking. I really love Miku's default outfit but I also don't want to risk damaging it further... so I probably would have to redress her at this point.

15 hours ago, OccultBeast said:

Snow Miku is even worse, as the silver material apparently also yellows over time, especially where the fabric has been glued in place, like around the boot zippers.  It's so unfortunate.

This is also a reason why I didn't get Snow Miku. I've seen enough of her being sold in the secondhand market with the white parts of her outfit yellowed. 

I was honestly expecting that these parts would be satin and NOT faux leather. DD Emilia was one of my licensed dolls and most parts of her outfit were satin. It's shiny but at the same time it won't be as damaged like the material that they chose. Are the newer Vocaloid DDs (Sakura Miku, Meiko) also using this faux leather? 

42 minutes ago, ateliervanilla said:

That is my number one concern right now, actually. Being in AZ, it's so hot and dry that this first week of getting her already got those faux leather parts cracking. I really love Miku's default outfit but I also don't want to risk damaging it further... so I probably would have to redress her at this point.

This is also a reason why I didn't get Snow Miku. I've seen enough of her being sold in the secondhand market with the white parts of her outfit yellowed. 

I was honestly expecting that these parts would be satin and NOT faux leather. DD Emilia was one of my licensed dolls and most parts of her outfit were satin. It's shiny but at the same time it won't be as damaged like the material that they chose. Are the newer Vocaloid DDs (Sakura Miku, Meiko) also using this faux leather? 

Yes - sakura uses it too.   I assume they want the shine factor but the longevity is an issue.  
 

Meiko looks like pleather but I’ve not had one to be sure. 
 

With the rerelease of snow miku a lot of people were asking Volks if they’d fixed the glue problem at least.  Volks never answered so time will tell if they tried to at least fix that our not. 

Edited April 6, 2022 by abs2891

13 hours ago, OccultBeast said:

The only reason I would be afraid to use conditioner (personally) is because DDs are already so easily stained, I would worry that the conditioning cream would damage the DD vinyl in some way, even if it doesn't damage the outfit pieces themselves.  I assume it would discolour it, at least.  It would definitely be a risk, so I don't know if anyone would want to take it with a rather pricy DD outfit, especially since we don't know if it would actually preserve the material used in these outfits.

I definitely hear you there! One of the first things I did was test a little smear of the cream on a DD lower leg part (figuring that those would be reasonably easy to replace if the cream stained or discolored them). The cream itself was a white color and it hasn't affected the look or feel of the leg piece in any way. I keep checking her leg to be sure!

However, if the dye on a clothing piece wasn't colorfast, then the cream might carry dye over onto a doll. If I was going to do this I'd definitely treat the stuff and let it dry while it's not on the doll.

I guess my DD Miku looks kinda weird right now, but in ending her misery... (totally not happy with what the velcro did to her shirt!!!)

I'll eventually swap out that top and keep her default outfit away before it gets more damaged. The hotter months won't be merciful here in AZ, for both humans and dolls 🙃

kind of looks like a spring version of Miku's costume.

I just found got my Miku, my very first vinyl doll in December 2022, and being new to vinyl dolls, I have a few questions. 

Has anyone tried the vinyl conditioner on their Miku's pleather parts yet?  If so, how did it work?

On 4/6/2022 at 7:11 PM, ateliervanilla said:

I guess my DD Miku looks kinda weird right now, but in ending her misery... (totally not happy with what the velcro did to her shirt!!!)

I'll eventually swap out that top and keep her default outfit away before it gets more damaged. The hotter months won't be merciful here in AZ, for both humans and dolls 🙃

 

Where did you get the white skirt from, @ateliervanilla  And, did you make the arm-warmers?  Tbh, they look pretty cool!  

On 4/6/2022 at 7:54 AM, ShinobisDestiny said:

This is just my mind trying to find a solution but I once painted over pleather doll clothes and to secure the paint I brushed on some layers of clear drying glue. If my Miku outfits start to peal I would do that as well maybe it works...maybe not ^^°

What kind of paint did you use, @ShinobisDestiny?  And was it white glue, or some special type of glue? 

A few of Miku's pleather parts are starting to crack some, and if possible, I want to save them, even if the cracks and whatnot show.  I love her original outfit, and for now, I have her original and Snow Miku outfits (that I managed to find) stored in Ziplock baggies.  Should I store them in something better, like a plastic food container?

 

Ryu

1 minute ago, RyuichiSakuma13 said:

Where did you get the white skirt from, @ateliervanilla  And, did you make the arm-warmers?  Tbh, they look pretty cool!  

The white skirt is from an outfit set made by DollDelights (dolldelights.com)! The arm-warmers are from elitedollworld from Etsy. Thank you!

57 minutes ago, RyuichiSakuma13 said:

Has anyone tried the vinyl conditioner on their Miku's pleather parts yet?  If so, how did it work?

I would like to know this too.

I've acquired quite a few older outfits and the pleathery material is starting to go sticky and also crack. It's not just a Volks issue - I've had the same with older Pureneemos too.

With Volks outfits the shoes (particularly the school loafers) are prone to cracking, especially around the heel.

The black vinyl gets sticky and deteriorates even when stored. It's also prone to sticking to the cellophane wrappers the outfits come in. I try to put in the silica bags in with the more delicate outfit parts, but I don't know if these bags get exhausted over time.

I don't really have any answers, other than I've been collecting up the Miku outfits that don't have any suspect materials in them.

Also the vinyl material can stain like crazy... one of my girls is in the doll hospital right now having a really bad stain treated. I guess the good thing about Dollfies compared to Smart Dolls is it's comparatively easy to swap out their damaged parts for new parts.

Thank you @ateliervanilla, both sites have some pretty nice things. 🙂

 

@Xiongmao, I'm going to take your advise and try to not get Miku sets that don't have vinyl in them.  Or, get used to the idea that they will eventually crack and peel.   

I think I'm going to try the "paint and glue" method to see if I can get the vinyl to last a bit longer.  Unfortunately, most of the outfits I love seem to have vinyl in them.  Looks like I have a hobby to add to my hobby. 

 

Ryu

On 1/30/2023 at 7:10 AM, RyuichiSakuma13 said:

 

, I'm going to take your advise and try to not get Miku sets that don't have vinyl in them.  Or, get used to the idea that they will eventually crack and peel.

Ribbon Girl doesn't have any vinyl. The shoes have rubber soles but I'm less worried about shoes - they're supposed to get beat up over time anyway. On the downside Ribbon Girl is god tier sought after. I just decided I'd rather have one or two outfits that my girls would wear constantly than have tonnes of stuff in the closet that they never wear.

I also have the Snow Miku with the coat and mittens - that looks OK too. Snow Parade looks pretty good too. Do Re Mi is another potentially good one. It's also not very popular so it's readily available for a decent(ish) price.

I'm resigned to my Kizuna AI's default outfit falling apart but she rarely wears it anyway.

I've gotten good results using nail polish to paint over the cracked vinyl even in areas that were almost lost to the peeling. It'll stop the flaking on the area although the esthetic is not the best. 

On 1/31/2023 at 12:28 PM, Xiongmao said:

Ribbon Girl doesn't have any vinyl. The shoes have rubber soles but I'm less worried about shoes - they're supposed to get beat up over time anyway. On the downside Ribbon Girl is god tier sought after. I just decided I'd rather have one or two outfits that my girls would wear constantly than have tonnes of stuff in the closet that they never wear.

I also have the Snow Miku with the coat and mittens - that looks OK too. Snow Parade looks pretty good too. Do Re Mi is another potentially good one. It's also not very popular so it's readily available for a decent(ish) price.

I'm resigned to my Kizuna AI's default outfit falling apart but she rarely wears it anyway.

I managed to find Ribbon Girl for a pretty decent price.  I'm waiting for it to ship. 

The Fluffy Coat outfit I found cost me a pretty penny, but I think it was worth it, even if the boots are starting to peel.  I will probably try the leather trick to try and save them.  I learned the hard way to not bend Miku's knees while she's wearing pleather boots, since that's what started the cracking. 

That means I'm not going to bend her knees in any of her outfits that have pleather boots.  Sad, but it is what it is, unless I can find some actual leather boots for 1/3 girl dolls.  

On 1/31/2023 at 5:21 PM, puxlavoix said:

I've gotten good results using nail polish to paint over the cracked vinyl even in areas that were almost lost to the peeling. It'll stop the flaking on the area although the esthetic is not the best. 

I may try that, but I would be afraid of ruining the pleather.  I'm still getting used to the idea of vinyl vs resin.

How flexible is the nail polish?  How does it look?  Mind showing a pic or two?

 

Ryu

Edited February 4, 2023 by RyuichiSakuma13
clarification

 

On 2/4/2023 at 1:52 AM, RyuichiSakuma13 said:

I may try that, but I would be afraid of ruining the pleather.  I'm still getting used to the idea of vinyl vs resin.

How flexible is the nail polish?  How does it look?  Mind showing a pic or two?

Sorry for the belated reply.

I gave it a long thought myself thinking it would ruin the damaged clothes too but after initial consideration came to the conclusion that they were ruined anyways. In this case Miki's default pink outfit. Don't have a before/after comparison but I think I can try to fix Tamaki's loafers and take some pics.

I've only used it a handful of times but can tell you that its not realluy flexible at all and suspect it'll break and fall if under much stress but it will definitely bring new life to already ruined items or will stop the cracking on areas were it has already begun.

I just recently used it on Airi's shoes which I got new from her fullest but the straps started to disintegrate right away, like instantly and ended almost 100% peeled but again seeing they were ruined anyway,  applied black nail polish and can't tell they were almost trash at first glance. I'll try to take a few pics tomorrow and post them here.

On 2/23/2023 at 8:47 PM, puxlavoix said:

 

Sorry for the belated reply.

I gave it a long thought myself thinking it would ruin the damaged clothes too but after initial consideration came to the conclusion that they were ruined anyways. In this case Miki's default pink outfit. Don't have a before/after comparison but I think I can try to fix Tamaki's loafers and take some pics.

I've only used it a handful of times but can tell you that its not realluy flexible at all and suspect it'll break and fall if under much stress but it will definitely bring new life to already ruined items or will stop the cracking on areas were it has already begun.

I just recently used it on Airi's shoes which I got new from her fullest but the straps started to disintegrate right away, like instantly and ended almost 100% peeled but again seeing they were ruined anyway,  applied black nail polish and can't tell they were almost trash at first glance. I'll try to take a few pics tomorrow and post them here.

Its cool, after all, we all have lives, right?

I misspoke, and said "the Ribbon Girl outfit," when I meant Mikuzukin (Red Riding Hood Miku outfit).  it also doesn't have any vinyl for me to worry about.  I'm still on the hunt for a Ribbon Girl outfit that doesn't cost $700.

Good point about pleather things "already being ruined," @puxlavoix.  Some of Miku's things are already kind of ruined since I suspect they're pretty old, so why not experiment with them?  I think I want to try the pleather paint to see if I can try to save what's left of her things. 

The Mikuzukin outfit is really super cute, and I'm glad to have found one outfit that doesn't have vinyl on it.  I'm also starting to look for clothes (Volks and other makers) that doesn't have vinyl on it anywhere. 

I'm thinking of trying to re-create some of the pleather parts in cloth.  Wish me luck!

 

Ryu

On 1/29/2023 at 7:09 AM, RyuichiSakuma13 said:

What kind of paint did you use, @ShinobisDestiny?  And was it white glue, or some special type of glue? 

A few of Miku's pleather parts are starting to crack some, and if possible, I want to save them, even if the cracks and whatnot show.  I love her original outfit, and for now, I have her original and Snow Miku outfits (that I managed to find) stored in Ziplock baggies.  Should I store them in something better, like a plastic food container?

 

Ryu

I just used regular acrylic paint. And regular white clear drying non toxic water based glue.